Bogged Down Sherman vs German Forces

Yesterday, I was unable to meet with the team, so I had to play the special against myself, after staying up until 12 the night before and playing through the mission at 9:30PM last night. As a result, it was not as interesting as it could have been, as I was simply too tired to move anything. I apologize for the inconvenience, and next week Team Truman will get together and redo this scenario. For now, please enjoy this scenario. A Sherman 76 has bogged down while foolishly crossing a thick forest, trying to rendezvous with the rest of his platoon. A platoon of paras with a squad of engineers stumbles across the crew trying to free their tank, as German reserves gather. The Sherman tank can shoot, as the crew is still in the tank and the engineers are now trying to free it from the ditch. German forces arrive in the form of reserves, the first turn rolling one dice, the second turn rolling two dice, and so on until turn 4, where if the Sherman tank is not destroyed or all the paras killed, the US win and reserves arrive on the field in the form of a new army that I have not yet been able to use. The Sherman can fire its weapons at multiple platoons per turn. On a roll of a 1, 2, or 3, the reserves that arrive are an infantry platoon. On a roll of 4, 5, or 6, the reserves that arrive are a single StuG G. After arriving, the Germans roll one dice to determine the motivation and another to determine the skill of the newly arrived reserves individually. On a roll of 1 or 2 for the first dice, the motivation is reluctant. On a roll of 3 or 4, the motivation is confident, and on a roll of 5 or 6, the motivation is fearless. Similarly, for the second dice, on a roll of 1 or 2, the skill is conscript. On a roll of 3 or 4, the skill is trained. On a roll of 5 or 6, the skill is veteran. Infantry also rolls after this to see what they are armed with. On a roll of 1 or 2, they have rifles. On a roll of 3 or 4, they have rifle/mgs. On a roll of 5 or 6, they have machine guns. They then take a roll to see if they are armed with panzerfausts. On a roll of 1, 2, or 3, they have no fausts. On a roll of 4, 5, or 6, they are all armed with fausts. If a single StuG arrives and is bailed, it has to take a platoon motivation check. I know with all the explaining of rules, you are all probably bored, but below is the battle report.

The Board

 Paras stand guard for the Sherman

German Turn 1

A StuG comes on, and 2 5s reveal it is rated as fearless veteran. The StuG fails to hit the Sherman.

US Turn 1

The Sherman skillfully hits the StuG, who promptly fails its armor save, leading to the destruction of the StuG.

German Turn 2

Bring on a StuG rated as Reluctant Conscript, and an infantry platoon armed with MGs rated as Reluctant Veteran.

The MGs gun down 2 stands of the paras who die bravely defending their tank, but the StuG fails to hit the Sherman. Again.

 

US Turn 2

The paras successfully dig in around the woods. The Sherman only manages to bail the freshly recruited StuG crew out of their vehicle, but it kills 2 stands of infantry, including the commander. The mortar barks and claims 2 infantry stands. The paras split fire, and the right side fails to hit the infantry, but on the left, the CiC of the German Company is sniped by one of the paras.

German Turn 3

The StuG fails morale (predictably) and quits the field as well as the infantry, but two more StuGs come on, one rated as Reluctant Conscript again, and the other as Fearless Trained. An infantry platoon also comes on, rated as Confident Veteran armed with MGs. The infantry score one hit on the paras but their save is made, and the StuGs fail to hit the Sherman. Darn.

US Turn 3

The Sherman hits both StuGs, one being bailed and destroying the other.

The mortar ranges in on the first attempt, but the Germans make all their saves, and are pinned. The Sherman hits 2 infantry stands who both fail their saves, and the paras kill 2 more stands. The 2iC is hit twice, but makes both his saves. Wow.

German Turn 4

The RC StuG quits the field, but they bring in two more StuGs and two platoons of infantry. The StuGs are rated with the left one as Reluctant Conscript (again) and one Confident Veteran, while the infantry are all armed with rifles, the left one Fearless Trained and the other Reluctant Trained.

No hits on the Sherman (again) and the infantry fails to hit any of the paras. With this, the US win.

US Turn 4

The tank is freed from the clutches of the forest by the skillful engineers, and reserves arrive, ready to smash the Germans...